Even if Faro is not the first town to be connected with the thought of beaches, you might be surprised if you give them a chance and visit some of them. Faro has five different beaches. Make sure to give the beaches of Faro a chance!

Faro has some amazing beaches

Shopping and visiting the city during the day and then visit a beach. In Faro, you can do that. And since the beaches of Faro are part of the Ria Formosa they are all protected and lagoon like.

So make sure to take your time and visit the beaches of Faro and don’t head straight for Albufeira or one of the other cities that is more famous for their beaches. Give Faro a chance to show off!

Praia De Faro – Peninsula do Ancao

This beach is framed by the Ria Formosa and is well worth a visit. Be aware that it might get crowded during the summer when a lot of the locals go on holiday and want to cool off. You might also be prepared to see some shellfish gatherers during low tide.

You can get here by car and there is a good parking spot where you can leave the car. There are restaurants, toilets and recreation facilities here. During the summer you will also find lifeguards on duty. And if you don’t have your own car you can take a boat from the harbor of Faro straight to the beach.
GPS Coordinates: N 37 0’27,40 W 7 59’42,77.

Barrinha – Peninsula do Ancao

This beach is not as well visited as the Praia De Faro and you are likely to find yourself deserted on this beach. The beach of Barrinha is also called Barra de S. Luis and this area is full of natural beauty. You won’t find restaurants or buildings here but you can enjoy the ever-changing landscape. Due to the winds and waves, the configuration of the coastline constantly changes here.

This beach is for the once that are looking for a peaceful place where they can enjoy the beach and nature. Due to the currents and their strength, you should only cross the lines of dunes on the walkways. Because let’s face it – you want to preserve this beautiful place.
GPS Coordinates: N 36 59’19,41 W 7 58’2,82.

Ilha Deserta – Barreto Island

This literally “deserted island” is said to be uninhabited and stretches for over eleven kilometers. To get here you need to take a boat from the Faro harbor. Once out on the island, you can feel that you have found a piece of paradise. This is also one of the only places in Portugal that has a spot for the “free” people that want to be nude – with a nudist beach.

This is also the beach you need to get to if you want to stand at the southernmost point of Portugal. Here you can most certainly find your own spot at the beach. However, be aware that it can get really hot during the summer and that there is no good place where you can find shade.
Read all about our visit out to the Ilha Deserta.
GPS Coordinates: N 36 57’53,62 W 7 52’22,56.

Praia do Farol & Praia Dos Hangares

Like Ilha Deserta, this is also a beach where you need to take the ferry to get there. Trust our word for it – it is worth the visit. When I first saw the wide beach, I only wanted to get on a horse and gallop like crazy. Ok so there were no horses there but the beach was magnificent. You need to take the ferry from either Faro or Olhao to get to Culatra Island where the beaches are located.

The reason that the two beaches are as one is because they cross into each other. We recommend that you take the ferry to Culatra and then you walk the beach-way to Farol and pass these amazing beaches. This is also a place where you can visit a dive school during the summer.
Read all about our visit to Culatra Island here.
GPS Coordinates: N 36 58’33,68 W 7 51’42,56.

Culatra Island – Praia da Culatra

While visiting Culatra you are also on the same island as Praia do Farol. It is all the same island and the beaches go into each other, This is a really nice place to visit and to walk around. Make sure to schedule a visit here during your visit to Farol. Make sure to take a stop here before heading to the more “beach places”. Culatra island learned us so much about how to be tranquil and to just meditate through life.

Even if we took our trip to the Culatra Island from Olhao and not from Faro, we still got the great service out to the island. This is really a beautiful beach and you can enjoy.
GPS Coordinates: N 36 59’8,87 W 7 50’22,41.

So next time you are in the Algarve – make sure to visit the beaches of Faro!
Don’t miss out on your complete guide to Faro, Portugal